Valve assembly



Dec.l0, 1940. A. J. PENICK EI'AL 2,224,447

VALVE AS SEMBLY Filed Nov. 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A2 THUR J PEN/CK Hear 7 PIE/W616 Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES VALVE ASSEMBLY Arthur J. Penick and Kirby T. Pcnick, Houston, Tex.

Application November 10, 1938, Serial No. 239,830

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a valve assembly;

The invention has particular relation to an assembly embodying a valve casing having a fluid e'way therethrough, a valve in the casing movable into one position to open the passageway and into another position to close the passageway with novel mechanical means whereby a fluid tight seal will be formed around the passageway by the valve when the valve is in closed position.

The invention embodies certain improvements over the types of construction disclosed in our co-pending applications. Serial No. 186,625 illed January 4, 1938, and Serial No. 235,387 flied October 17, 1938.

An object oi the invention is to provide novel mechanically actuated means embodied in the valve itself whereby a fluid tight relation between the valve and casing will be eflected when the 80 valve is in closed position.

Another object oi the invention is to provide in a valve assembly novel means ior supplying a lubricant to the working parts.

More specifically the invention embodies a 95 valve having a movable side section with means ior automatically and mechanically applying force against the inner side 01! the movable side section, when the valve is in closed position, to. in eiiect, increase the outside diameter of the 80 valve to thereby cause it to flt more closely about the passageway through the casing to form fluid tight seals about the passageway.

With the above and other obiects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel ieatures oi construction, operation and arrangement of parts, examples of which are given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal, sectional view oi the assembly showing the valve in closed position.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary, side elevation. partly in section. showing the valve in closed position and taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1.

Figure?! shows a longitudinal, sectional view showing the valve open.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken on go thelinel-loiFigure3,and

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference desiggg nate the same parts in each of the figures, the

numeral I designates the valve casing which is preferably of cylindrical shape in cross-section as more clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, and which has a passageway 2 ior fluid therethrough. Around the passageway, on each side are the 6 tubular connections 8, I for connecting the easing into the adjacent sections 4 of the flow line. On one end oi the valve casing there is a bonnet i which may be secured thereon in any preferred manner but which is shown secured on the casi0 ing by means of the clamp nut 8. The opposite end of the casing is-ciosed and is provided with an inside stop 1.

Fitted into the casing there is a cylindrical vvalve 8 having a passageway I therethrough adapted to be brought into and out of registration with the passageway 2 through the casing. When this passageway I is aligned with the passageway 2 the valve will be open and a continuous smooth conduit will be provided through the assembly which will not collect detritus or other foreign matter. When the valve is moved to closed position a very tight seal will be formed by it around the away 2 to prevent leakage.

The valve may be actuated into either of said positions by a rotatable stem 10 whose inner endhas a coarsely threaded connection with the valve and whose outer end has a swiveling connection with the bonnet. This swiveling connection is provided by means oi the annular rib Ii around the stem which has an external. annular groove l2 therearound and which is seated in the bonnet and is retained therein by a gland II which is screwed into the inner side of the bonnet as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Beyond the rib ii the stem Ill is surrounded by a stufling box it which is retained in place by the flange nut II screwed onto the outer end oi the bonnet.

countersunk into one side oi the valve there is a movable section I. which forms a part of the 60 valve I proper. On the valve opposite the stop I there is a plunger ll which works in a cylinder II in the valve. The plunger II has an outwardly extended stem ll working through a gland 20 in a the valve. Leading irom the cylinder ll around the passageway I through the valve are the channels 2|, 2|, whose inner ends 22 are turned outwardly as shown in Figure 4 and converse toward each other as also shown in Figure 4. The channels 2i contain the balls 23, there being a series of balls in each channel as shown more accurately in Figure 2. In the overturned converging ends of the channels the balls Ua-are made of gradually decreasing diameter working so between the converging faces 24 of the valve and the inside plane face 25 of the movable section IIB. The balls 23, 230. are in adjacent relation and in the cylinder I! there is a larger ball 26 which is in contact with the adjacent balls of each series as shown in Figure 2 and which rests against the plunger II.

When the valve is in open position as shown in Figure 3 the pressure of the series of balls in the channels will be released from the inner face 25 of the movable section l6 and said section or seat, It will be relaxed and the valve may be readily moved to closed position to carry the seat I6 into alignment with the passageway 2 as shown in Figure 1. Just before the valve reaches its final closed position the outer end of the stem I! will contact against the stop I and upon final movement of the valve to closed position the plunger I! will act against the ball 26 and force will be transmitted througlr the series of balls 23 and 23a to wedge the balls 2311 between the tapering faces 24 of the valve and the plane face 25 of the movable section it which will force said section outwardly into close contact with the wall of the casing around the passageway on that side of the casing. This will operateby reaction to force the valve 8 in the opposite direction and closely against the opposite side of the casing around the passageway 2. The outer surface of the section or seat I6 is flush, or approximately flush, with the outer surface of the valve. It is to be noted that the valve is splined in the casin against rotation by means of the spline 21, a longitudinal keyway 28 being provided in the valve to receive this spline and the spline has suflicient clearance in the keyway so that when the seat I6 is moved outwardly into close fitting relation with the valve casing around the passageway'2 the valve will have sufllcient movement in the opposite direction to form a close fitting seal around the passageway 2 on the opposite side of the valve casing.

As illustrated in Figure wedges 29 may be fitted between the tapering faces 24 of the valve and the opposing plane face 25 of the-section IS in lieu of the balls 23a. The outer ends of the wedges 29 have the tapering faces 29a against which the adjacent balls 2'! contact so that when the valve is moved to closed position as shown in Figure l the force of the plunger I] acting against to fill the same.

the series of balls will react against the tapering faces 29a of the wedges 29 and force said wedges inwardly, toward each other, which in turn will force the movable section i6 outwardly into sealing engagement with the inside wall of the casing 5 around the passageway 2.

Means for lubricating the relatively movable parts of the valve assembly have been provided and which will now be described:

Threaded into the boss 30 of the casing I there is a set screw 3| the inner end of which is pointed and normally closes the lubricant duct 32 leading into the key way 28. This set screw has an axial channel 33 whose outer end is internally threaded for the connection of a grease gun thereto and. whose inner end is turned laterally so as not to align with the duct 32. When it is desired to flll the casing with the lubricant the set screw 3| will be partly unscrewed so as to open the duct 32.

A, grease gun may then be connected thereto and a suitable lubricant forced into the valve casing This lubricant 'will pass each way along the keyway 28 into the valve casing on opposite sides of the valve. The bonnet has a duct 34 leading from within the casing and terminating at the groove l2 and leading from this groove there is a duct 35 which continues on axially through the stem 10 into the interior of the valve to provide ample lubricant for lubricating the threads connecting the stem to the valve.

A sumcient quantity of lubricant may thus be maintained in the valve casing to properly lubricate the assembly.

What we claim is:

A valve assembly comprising a valve casing having a passageway therethrough for fluid, a valve in'the casing movable to one position to open said passageway and to another position to close the passageway, a movable side section on the valve located to register with and close said passageway upon movement of the valve to closed position, said valve having a channel terminating at one end in a cylinder and at its other end at said section, a series of balls filling said channel and means arranged to act against said series, upon movement of the valve to closed position whereby said movable section will be forced outwardly into close contact with the inside wall of the casing.

- ARTHUR J. PENICK.

KIRBY T. PENICK. 

